After sending last week’s email about order of operations, my inbox lit up with stories, wins, and a few “yeah, I did that too” confessions.Turns out we’re all learning the same lessons in our builds. Here’s what our fellow builders have been up to in their shops:The router meets jack hole club 👋Several builders replied to say they’ve made the same mistake I wrote about: drilling the side jack before routing the roundover.There you are, routing the roundover on a body, and the router falls into the jack hole, eating a chunk out of your body, and you stand there wondering how you didn’t see that coming.If you’ve done this too, you’re not alone. Welcome to the club.Checklists 👍Joseph said he’s made the router jack mistake twice, so he finally wrote out an order of operations and keeps it in his shop.I love checklists, especially for things I don’t do that often. I actually keep a shop logbook where I make notes so future me doesn’t yell at current me.Tearout 👎Scott replied to say he’s had a chunk of wood tear out, and it scared him.The first time tearout happens, it’s terrifying. But here’s the thing: when it happens, don’t treat it like a random thing that “happens sometimes”. Dig into that exact situation like a detective and determine what led to the tearout.Tearout is usually telling you one of three things: you’re moving too fast, your bit is dull, or you’re routing against the grain in a bad spot. Sometimes it’s more than one of those at once.Tony’s glue strategy 🧠Tony replied to my email about glue types to say he used Titebond Original for the fretboard on his neck-through build, but not for the neck laminations.Titebond Original will allow the fretboard to be steamed off if it ever needs repairs, but he never wants the neck laminations to come apart.That’s smart thinking. You’re making intentional choices about what should be permanent versus serviceable. That’s excellent decision-making in action.Randy’s tape win 🏆Randy replied to say that, like me, he doesn’t seal his templates either, and also: “I did try your recommended tape the other day and really liked it.”Randy, that makes my day. That double-sided tape has saved me so much frustration over the years. I’m glad it’s working for you, too.Justin’s wild experiment👨🔬And then there’s Justin, who replied to the “how thick should a body be” email with a story about making a guitar body out of 3/4″ plywood. He even made a neck from plywood!Justin, I love that you tried it. That’s the kind of curiosity-meets-weird-science that leads to interesting results.
What’s your latest shop win, mistake, or experiment?
